Qrowin: Fate
by i-write-ff-to-procrastinate
Summary: AU: Qrow and Winter are childhood friends and now attend Beacon Academy together! Qrow has always loved Winter, but doesn't know how to tell her-scared he's going to ruin their friendship. And Winter is head-over-heels in love with Taiyang anyways, so maybe it wasn't meant to be after all. AKA: In Which Qrow gets majorly friend-zoned... a lot.
1. TEAMS STRQ WHTE

_This was all the idea of a friend on the Qrowin discord. Anyways, friend, I hope I do your lovely idea justice! I'm excited to be writing Qrowin again! :)_

* * *

The new students were just arriving at Beacon and Winter was exhausted. She had spent the day showing them around with the rest of her team—trying to find moments in between to unpack, and gather her books, and make sure she had everything for classes. It had been a mess. _Second year at Beacon Academy and everything is already crazy. _As if last year hadn't already been enough. The Vytal festival… losing to Atlas. It was enough to make her cringe, just thinking about it.

Now, after the sunset, things were finally calming down. The rest of the members of her team were unpacking and she was checking off a list of the items she had brought with her from home when her scroll let out of a soft buzz. She slipped it out of her pocket to read the message: _Are we meeting in our usual spot? _She let out a sigh, and quickly typed out a response:

_It's the first day, do you really think that's a good idea._

_ Come on! Unless you're too scared to come out. (; _

He was teasing her. She hated that. She turned to her teammates with a huff. "I'm going out."

"You're sneaking out _again_?!" Heather said, setting aside a poster.

"What if you get caught?" Terran huffed.

"Was I ever once caught last year?" Winter frowned.

"No."

"I won't be caught."

She met him just outside the main entrance into the academy. The stars were just coming out and he was leaning against the tall stone wall in a black leather jacket, hands stuffed in his pockets. Qrow Branwen. They had been friends since they were little, maybe since preschool. She could still remember the way they had played together in her family's gardens. As she approached the entrance, Winter grinned the moment she saw him. Qrow had long legs, and messy dark hair, hiding his empathetic red eyes. Despite his lanky stature, he still wasn't taller than Winter. He used to be, when they were small, but once Winter hit her teens she caught up with ease. Now they were about the same height when standing side-by-side.

"Where'd you get that?" Winter said, poking his jacket.

"It's Tai's. He kept saying how cool it looked on him, so I stole it." Qrow laughed. His voice was so good to hear again—so familiar—and Winter was glad he had summoned her to their usual spot. Especially now that they were talking about _Tai—_Qrow's teammate. Tai was the coolest guy in school, really. And Winter had eyes on him since he had first stepped foot into the academy. He was handsome, his smile made her knees weak, and he was super nice.

Winter decided to ease into the conversation with: "How's the rest of Team STRQ."

Qrow glanced at her with a knowing smile, "I know what you're getting at, Winter. Why don't you just say it? You know you can tell or ask me anything."

Winter felt her cheeks flush. "Has Tai said anything about me?"

Qrow shook his head, kicking a pebble across the courtyard. "Nah. Not yet. But you know it's the first day. We're all tired. Give him time." He glanced over at her. "He'll figure out you're pining one way or another."

"You won't tell him, will you?!" She panicked, "Because if you do, I'll—"

"Relax," he laughed, shuffling a little, and shoving his hands into his pockets again. "I'm not going to tell him." They fell into a comfortable silence, before Winter whispered,

"Do you think… he'll ask me to the dance?"

Qrow blinked. His red eyes seemed to shine in the light of the broken moon. For one moment, Winter was drawn to them. She had always admired the Branwen eyes… they were so beautiful. Then Qrow shrugged his shoulders, almost a little deflated. "I have no idea. Why don't you just ask him to go with you?"

"That's kind of… unconventional," Winter sighed, brushing a strand of her short-cropped hair behind her ear. "Can't boys just be brave once in a while?" Qrow straightened, his whole body seeming to go stiff. Then he kicked another pebble.

"You could… go to the dance with _me_."

Winter paused, glancing up at him thoughtfully, and then she laughed. "You're a good friend, Qrow, but it's okay. I'm sure Tai will ask me eventually."

"Right," Qrow said.

"Why don't we all sit at breakfast tomorrow like we usually do?" Winter asked, "For now, we should probably get to sleep. It's the first day back, after all. We'll have classes tomorrow and introductions and _homework_… probably. We should get a good night's rest."

Qrow turned to her, a small smile on his lips, his cheeks flushed, "You're always right about these sorts of things."

"I am, aren't I?" Winter said, crossing her arms, "That's how we managed to stay out of trouble when we were little."

* * *

The next morning, Winter finally got to see Taiyang. Their teams gathered at breakfast as for usual: Team STRQ—Summer Rose, Taiyang Xiao Long, Raven Branwen, and Qrow Branwen; and Team WHTE—Winter Schnee, Heather Wares, Terran Locke, and Ember West.

"What do you say we make _this year _the one to remember," Tai said, practically shoveling breakfast into his mouth, "We'll do all the crazy stuff! Fight some Grimm. Go on some great missions! Do everything those stuck-ups at Atlas _wouldn't _do."

"You're talking with your mouth full of food," Raven scolded, "No one can understand a word you're saying."

"I did!" Summer raised her hand, "And I agree!"

"See, at least someone has some sense!" Tai grinned, reaching for Raven's piece of toast. Raven smacked his hand.

"You touch my toast you'll be waking up to your bed _on fire_." He eyed her toast for one moment before shrugging his shoulders.

"Not worth it." Then he grinned over at Winter and she practically melted. "What do you all think?"

"If we break the rules too much we might get expelled," Terran said, narrowing his dark brown eyes. "Doesn't that worry you at all?"

"Terran!" Ember laughed, flipping her amber braid over her shoulder, "You're _so _boring! Come on, live a little! We should _definitely_ do all the crazy stuff! I vote we sneak in some booze."

"Are you _insane_?!" Terran blinked. "What if you're caught?!"

Tai's voice broke over the voices of Winter's teammates, "What do you think, Winter?" He smiled. Winter felt her whole face heat up. His eyes were so pretty….

"I think…" she tucked her hair behind her ear again. "Anything to stick it to Atlas." Tai cheered, pumping his fist.

Winter's eyes locked with Qrow's. He was shaking his head, exasperation written in his expression. She smiled when she caught his glance, and his cheeks flushed. He glanced away before mumbling, "You all are crazy."


	2. The Dance

_Anyways. I didn't edit this at all. sooo... *sob* _

* * *

No one had asked her to the dance. Qrow watched her from across the room. She was standing rather forlorn in a corner. It had been a whole month and a half and she didn't have any dance partner. He knew Winter only had eyes for Tai, but still. How long was she really going to wait for him? Tai was across the room at the punch table, laughing with some of the other guys. Qrow had half a mind to punch his teammate in the throat—knock some sense into him. Here was this gorgeous girl… Qrow glanced back over at Winter, but just as his eyes fell on her shaking hands someone rested their arm across his shoulder.

"What are you thinking about?" Raven said in a sing-song voice. Qrow let out an exasperated sigh.

"Nothing."

"Does 'nothing' happen to be over there wearing that white silk dress?" Raven smirked.

"No!" Qrow huffed.

"Aww!" Summer bounded over beside him, grabbing his arm, "Are you crushing on Winter again?!"

"Yes, he is!" Raven sang.

"No, I'm not!" Qrow knew his whole face was red. Why did they always have to tease him about this?!

"Qrow," Summer sighed, gesturing over to Winter, "Look at her! Why don't you go over and ask her to dance?"

"Are you crazy?" Qrow laughed, "Winter doesn't want to dance with _me_. She wants to dance with Tai!"

Raven snorted, and then chortled, "Have you _seen _Tai's dance moves? I can't believe _anyone _would want to dance with _that _nerd."

"Trust me on this one," Summer said, offering Raven a glare, "As a girl, I know if I were in her situation, and you asked me to dance, you'd be a hero."

_A hero. _Qrow glanced over at Winter. He had never seen her look so beautiful. Her dress shimmered so it almost seemed metallic in the light of the ballroom. Her bangs were tied back behind her ear in a little braid.

"Just go talk to her," Raven huffed, pushing him towards her. His sister was strong, and Qrow stumbled across the room, almost colliding with Winter.

"Qrow!" She let out a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness. This party is _so _boring. I told you they should have put me on the party planning committee, didn't I?" She was already trying to direct her attention to other things. Qrow knew Winter well enough to know she was only trying to distract herself. Tai was dancing with some random girl Qrow had never even talked to. _Seriously? Are you that dense? What a jerk. _It was now or never. Winter was talking about how lame the decorations were when he somehow—with a pounding heart—managed to spit out "Do you… do you want to dance with me?"

She glanced up at him, "Sorry, come again?"

_Oh my gods, she didn't hear me. I'm gonna have to say it all over again—_

"He was asking if you wanted to dance!" _Summer! _Qrow felt his face go hot, but Winter's eyes lit up. Qrow couldn't breathe. _She's so… beautiful! _

"That would be…" She let out a breath, smoothing down her dress and taking his hand, "…Acceptable."

Qrow wasn't even sure where to begin, but Winter led him out on the dance floor with a small smile on her lips. Under the dim lighting, she looked practically like an angel. If he was braver… he would brush that stray strand of hair behind her ear, trace his thumb across her jaw, memorize each angle of her face, lean in close and tease her with just the lightest kiss…

But he knew she didn't feel the same way. It was like torture.

"You're a life-saver, Qrow!" Winter sighed, as they moved slowly across the ballroom. Qrow was brought back to reality by her eyes. He could still hear Summer's voice: _"You'll be a hero!" _"You're the greatest friend a girl could ever wish for," she sighed, "I was scared no one was going to ask me to dance."

_Friend. _

"I guess that's kind of petty. I shouldn't be worried about stupid stuff like that," she said.

"It's not petty," Qrow whispered, and he slowed to a half before practically pulling Winter off the dance floor.

"Woah! Qrow! Where—"

He stopped at the edge of the floor, right in front of Tai. "Tai! Winter was just telling me she wanted to dance with all three of us guys. You can cross me and Terran off the list. It's just you left."

Qrow watched as Tai's blue eyes darted over to where Raven was leaning against one of the back walls, but then he glanced back at Winter and shrugged. "Alright. Fair enough." And then he took Winter's hand and led her out onto the dance floor. Qrow watched them go—Winter's face almost as red as Qrow's tie.

Summer set a hand on Qrow's shoulder, "Why'd you do that?"

"She's in love with Tai, not me," Qrow whispered.

"You're an idiot. You and I both know Tai has no feelings like that for her. You're encouraging something that's never going to happen." She shook her head. "In the end, it'll just break her heart."


	3. Girls' Night

_This looked so much longer in the word doc oml. Anyways... Some of these chapters will be short... but hopefully things unfold the way they're meant to, and I hope you all enjoy! ;)_

* * *

"Girls' night!" Ember shrieked, dropping back onto her bed.

"Geez, would you calm down," Heather huffed, "You're gonna keep everyone in the entire school awake!"

"Sorry, I'm just glad we're _finally _getting around to doing this again. It's been months since second year started and we haven't even managed to get together like this! Come on! Last year we had Girls' Nights all the time!"

"Last year we had less responsibility and less homework, I'm sure," Winter replied.

"That's no excuse!" Ember said, bouncing up and down on her bed. There was a knock at the door and Raven and Summer slipped in moments later.

"Winter!" Heather said, spreading a blanket out on the floor, "Put the textbook away, come on! It's girl's night. It's time to talk about fun things, like boys—"

"Or girls!" Ember said, still jumping up and down.

"—and play truth or dare or something!"

"We brought snacks!" Summer said, dumping a pile of junk food in the middle of the blanket.

Once all five girls were settled on the floor Heather began, "What should we talk about first?"

"What did you all think of Professor—" Winter began.

"Winter, you've been talking about that lecture _all day_," Ember groaned, "The night hours are for _rumors, gossip, and love confessions." _

"Love confessions," Winter snorted, "Okay, did you tell Lavender you want to go on a date with her?"

"No," Ember grinned, "But have _you _talked to _Tai_?" Winter felt her cheeks flush. _No way! _There was no way she could tell Tai how she really felt! She shook her head, her cheeks flushed, glancing away from Ember's teasing grin towards where Raven and Summer were sitting. Raven looked exasperated, her cheeks puffed out, her eyes narrowed. She didn't look happy.

"What?" Winter saw the opportunity to remove the attention from herself, "You don't like talking about boys, Raven?"

"No," Raven said, her eyes lighting up with something akin to mischief, "I _would_ like to talk about boys," she grinned, "Let's talk about Qrow."

"Your _brother_?" Marigold frowned. "I guess he's cute." Winter felt a twinge of… something. _What was that? _Marigold wasn't wrong. In terms of looks… yeah, Winter wasn't blind. Qrow _was_ handsome. He was tall, dark-haired. She couldn't pretend she hadn't noticed his soft eyes, or the determined expression he got in class, or on missions. That mischievous grin he wore whenever he pulled Harbinger off his back.

"What about you, Winter?" Raven narrowed her eyes, and Winter felt like the Branwen twin was boring holes right through her.

"I don't know what you want me to say," Winter frowned. "I've been friends with both you and Qrow since we were little."

"I want to know why you've been paying less and less attention to Qrow and more and more attention to Tai." Her words sounded almost venomous. Winter frowned. She felt sick to her stomach.

"W-what?"

"Come on!" Summer laughed, "Raven's always telling me how you used to say when you were little that you were going to marry Qrow!" _Oh. That_. Marigold and Ember were suddenly _very _interested.

"Whaaaat?!" Ember gasped. "She… what?!"

Raven smirked, crossing her arms, "Qrow, Winter, and I have been friends since like preschool," she said, "And when we were really little… we must have been 7 or 8, Winter declared that one day she was gonna marry my brother!"

"Oh my goddd!" Marigold laughed, "Winterrrr! You never told us you had a crush on Qrow! Awwww! You two would be _so cute together!_"

"I don't have a crush on Qrow now!" Winter snapped, "He's _just a friend_!"

Raven scoffed, "What happened to 'We're gonna get married, Qrow!'" She raised her voice to imitate a little girl, "'And we're gonna have ten kids! And live in a little house!'" Winter felt her face grow hot.

"I don't remember saying that," she murmured.

"I bet your dad _loved _that," Ember snorted.

"As I recall," Raven murmured, "He certainly wasn't pleased."

"For the last time," Winter snapped, "Qrow and I are just friends! That was just a silly… _elementary _crush."

"Don't tell me you haven't thought of him like that _more recently_," Raven said, that same mischievous glint in her eye.

"I _haven't!_" Winter said.

Raven blinked, and shook her head. She seemed deflated. "Fine," she said, her hands balled into fists.

"Fine," Winter replied, gritting her teeth. _I haven't ever thought of Qrow as anything other than a friend. _But there was a small part of her—the part that loved his smile—that thought maybe she was lying to herself… just a little.


	4. Autumn

Tai was sitting across from Qrow, scribbling away in his notebook for one of their classes. Tai wasn't really one to focus on homework—he was more of a free-spirit—so Qrow imagined that this was the class he had mentioned he was failing. He was smiling, as if he was just starting to understand something, and Qrow was supposed to be doing his own homework, but he couldn't stop thinking about Winter.

_"You don't get it, Qrow. You'll never understand_." He gritted his teeth and glanced back down at the pages of his stupid textbook. _"You'll never understand." _That was a joke, right? He wanted to hurl something at the wall, scream,_ something_. Every emotion was locked up in his chest, pressure building. He felt like he was going to throw up, or punch something, or-

"Hey, what did you think of how Raven took down that grimm in class today?" Tai suddenly asked. Qrow jerked out of his own thoughts, glancing up quickly, his pencil clattering to the floor.

"What?" He snapped.

"Geez, you're testy today," Tai shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "I was just wondering what you thought of how Raven did in class this morning."

"She was fine. Raven's good at what she does," Qrow replied, glancing back down at his papers.

"I know," Tai sighed. And the way he said it made Qrow's blood boil. He slammed his hands down on the table as he stood, leaning over Tai with narrowed eyes.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He snapped. Tai's eyes widened. Qrow had never shouted at him—not in the two years they had known each other. Then he glared, sitting up in his seat.

"What's wrong with _me_?! What's wrong with _you_?"

"I'm talking about Winter! What are you, dense?"

"No! You never _once _mentioned, Winter," Tai snapped, "How in the world am I supposed to know who—"

"You _are_ dense. That's the problem," Qrow said, his hands balling into fists at his said. Tai trailed off, confused.

"What are you… talking about?"

"Winter," Qrow repeated. "You're so blind. Winter's…" His chest ached, "Winter's in love with you…" He trailed off. The words tasted like vitriol in his mouth. He felt dizzy. Tai was frozen, staring at Qrow with wide eyes from where he sat.

"W…" he took a deep breath, "What…?"

"Winter—"

"I heard what you said." He whispered. "I just… I don't think it's true."

"Tai, I'm telling you—"

"I always thought she was in love with _you_." Those words hit Qrow like a knife to the chest, and he took a step back. _No. She…_

"No." Qrow whispered, his voice hoarse, "No… she's… she's in love with you, Tai. And you've gotta… I mean… Why don't you… take her out sometime. I mean, you have to be blind to not see she's—"

"I won't," Tai shook his head. "I won't lead her on like that, Qrow."

"What are you talking about?" Qrow cleared his throat, "What if you find out you like her—?"

"I won't lead her on like that, Qrow!" Tai said, shooting to his feet. "I'm in love with Raven!"

Qrow couldn't breathe. _Everything's wrong. _This wasn't supposed to be the way things turned out. No. Tai was supposed to be with Winter… Tai was supposed to be… "What… what do you mean?"

Tai's whole face was bright red, "I'm in love with Raven!" He snapped, "And I swear, if she finds out because of your stupid twin-powers or something. I'll wring your neck!" He grabbed his books, and threw them in his backpack before throwing open the door and slamming it behind him as he left. Qrow didn't even flinch. He stood there, his schoolbooks discarded.

_"I always thought she was in love with you._"

Outside the window he could see the leaves withering in the face of Autumn. He could still hear Winter, five years old, her fingers entwined with his: _"I'm going to marry him someday, daddy! Just wait and see! I'm going to marry him, someday!_"


	5. I'm Positive

Winter hadn't spoken to Qrow for several weeks. Maybe it was just too easy to not put in the effort, to just let time pass by. They saw each other in class of course, but more and more time passed where they saw less of each other. Part of Winter was relieved. Maybe Raven would stop teasing them about how they were meant to be together. But another part of her was hurting—and she hated that part more than anything. It wasn't fair. Why did time have to pull you away from your friends? And why did it have to hurt so much? Every time she thought about asking him to hang out she remembered what Raven had said, and she would put her scroll aside and focus on her homework.

It was almost the end of their last year at Beacon. So everyone was busy, and spring was just arriving. Winter had been watching the cherry tree out in the courtyard begin to blossom over the last few days. And now, with her arms full of books, she moved past it towards the enormous library on campus. Just as she was about to reach the old building she noticed two familiar figures standing outside and laughing. Winter squinted, stepping over so she could get a better view away from the sun. It was just who she thought it might be. Qrow and Summer.

Qrow looked just the same as ever. He had his hand shoved in his pockets and he was leaning back against the library wall. Summer was excitedly talking to him about something, waving her arms and laughing. Winter watched them for a little bit, studying the way Qrow ran his fingers through his hair, and moved to face Summer when he spoke. The shorter of the teammates was practically bouncing up and down. _They seem so friendly with each other. _

Summer reached out and grabbed Qrow's arm, laughing about something. Winter narrowed her eyes. There was something about that she didn't like, but she couldn't place it. Maybe it was the way it felt like she and Qrow were drifting apart. And here he was, so close to his teammates. She thought back to when they were young—first imagining going to Beacon together…

_"So, what do you think?" Qrow grinned, tossing a pebble across the pond. Winter watched it bounce, once… twice… _

_ "I think that we'll both be excellent," she said, "Both of us, and Raven as well!" _

_ "I meant about teams," Qrow turned to grin over at her. There was such anticipation and excitement in those eyes. Winter couldn't help but smile back. "Do you think we'll be on the same team?" _

_ "We can't exactly be sure…" she frowned. Qrow let out a sigh, tossing another rock in the pond and striding over to her, holding out his hand. "What are you doing?" _

_ "Come on," he nodded. She tentatively put her hand in his and he pulled her up, spinning her once and then pulling her into a dance. "You should be more positive."_

_ "I'm not _negative_," Winter frowned, "I'm a realist." _

_ "I want you to say," he said, spinning her around again, "That you're positive we'll be on a team."_

_ "Qrow… _saying _it's going to happen, isn't going to make it happen."_

_ "Say it anyway," Qrow whispered. _

Winter stared across the courtyard at where her friend was standing, her heart hammering in her chest. _"Say it anyway." _She took in a breath. Summer was still hanging onto Qrow's arm. She felt so far away from him. She bit her lip, clutching her books close against her chest.

"I'm _positive_," she whispered. "I'm _positive _we'll all be on a team together." And for the first time in a _long _time, she really wished that it was true.


	6. Graduation: One Step Away

_We did it_. It still seemed like a dream—walking across that stupid stage for a slip of paper that made them all official huntsmen and huntresses. He had stayed up 'till three a.m. the night before, laughing with his team. Raven had snuck in a couple bottles of whiskey. He could still taste the alcohol on his breath and had one hell of a hangover. Now, after the ceremony was complete he stayed in the shade—away from the party. The sun was too bright, the people and music too loud… food didn't seem appealing.

From across the square he could see Winter, standing at attention with the rest of her team. She looked pained. He knew her family hadn't come to the graduation ceremony. He knew that Jacques had been furious with her decision to go to Beacon instead of Atlas. _So the asshole didn't even bother to come. _He had probably come up with some sort of excuse. _"Important business in Mistral, you see._" Yeah, right.

"What are you doing sulking over here?" Raven sidled up beside him, drink in one hand, her other on her hip.

"Hey," Qrow shrugged.

"You should get something to eat. It might help with the headache," Raven grinned. "You still really are a lightweight, aren't you?"

Qrow groaned, "Would you just shut up about it?"

"Never. You know older sisters were meant to give younger brothers a hard time."

"We're _twins, _Raven."

Raven laughed, but trailed off, taking a long sip of her drink. Qrow watched her scarlet eyes flit over to where their other two teammates were talking with Terran. _Tai. _He frowned. His sister wasn't one to give away what she was thinking about so easily. "You're thinking about Tai, aren't you?" Qrow whispered. He and Tai's friendship had been pretty rocky for a while after their fight, but as graduation approached it seemed like things were going back to normal. Now… well, now he wasn't sure what would happen. They weren't going to be in school anymore. Where that left them—he wasn't sure.

"Tsk. Yes," Raven whispered, her brows furrowed. "Not that it's really _any _of your business."

Qrow didn't say anything for a while after that. He watched Winter "break character" to laugh—hard. Ember was telling some sort of wild story. Winter was laughing so hard, she practically doubled over, her cheeks tinting pink. Even from here Qrow could imagine the way her eyes shone as she laughed. He hadn't talked to her in a while. It felt like he was so close, just _one step away _from her. Like he could reach out and take her hand and everything would be fine. One step away. But when he thought about telling her—telling her everything about how he really felt. That step felt like it was wider than the ocean, and he was _drowning in it_.

When they were little she had always been one step ahead of him. He had always been reaching out to catch her and somehow, after all these years she had evaded him. He could still hear her laugh.

_ "Where are we going?" Tiny hand in tiny hand, they dashed through the undergrowth of the grounds around Schnee's mansion. Winter's hair was parted into two pretty braids. She was laughing. _

_ "To my secret hideout!" She said, pulling him along. "Come on, I'll show you." They ducked under a large fuchsia bush and into a secluded corner—one side against the wall of the house, the other surrounded by leaves and branches. Winter plopped down in the grass, and gestured for Qrow to do the same. _

_ "This is cool." He had said, breathing in the crisp autumn morning air. Winter grinned. _

_ "Now it's your hideout too. We can't tell anyone, okay? It's our secret."_

_ "Okay," he nodded, determined. _

_ "Promise?" She held out her pinky. "If you promise it means we'll be partners forever, okay?" _

_ "I promise," he said, clasping her pinky in his. _

Partners forever. It didn't feel like it anymore. Maybe that was just the way it was meant to be: them going their separate ways. They had their childhood memories. Would that be enough? He gritted his teeth. She was laughing again and it made that ocean seem so big, impossible to cross with depths unimaginable. _I want you. _Everything that he had ever imagined could be possible when he was young seemed to be finally crashing down around him. _I love you. _His breath caught in his throat. That was it, that was the word. Love. He… he loved her. _I love you, Winter Schnee. Gods, I love you. I'll… _He felt sick to his stomach. _I'll always love you. _

"Qrow." Raven reached out to grasp his shoulder, to steady him. "Are you alright?"

"I'm…" he swallowed, trying to catch himself in those reeling emotions. It felt like he was drowning—like he couldn't catch his breath. "I'm fine. Do you… did we finish off that whiskey last night?"

Raven shook her head. "We have some left. Need something for the nerves?"

"Yeah," Qrow breathed. "That's it. Just nerves."


	7. Graduation: One Step Back

This was it. This was the day. She still couldn't believe it was _officially_ their last day as students of Beacon Academy! _Look at how far we've come, how much we've grown!_ She was proud of how much she'd accomplished. She was ready to take it out into the world—to finally become a real huntress. There was just one step left. One step that she should have taken a long time ago.

"Are you going to do it?" Ember whispered, wrapping an arm around Winter's shoulders.

"Of course, I am," Winter breathed. "There's no backing down now. I _have _to do it."

Tai was by the refreshment table, grabbing a glass of lemonade. Winter took a deep breath. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck!" Heather waved.

"Go get him, Winter!"

As usual, Tai wasn't alone. He was surrounded by admirers. He had always been pretty popular. Winter had to wave to get his attention. He glanced over, that small smile on his lips. "Hey, Winter. Congrats on graduation!"

"To you too!" She smiled. _I should be doing something with my hands. _She felt awkward and too formal. _This is nerve-wracking. Can't we just get over the whole 'I like you, do you like me' thing and skip to the third date or something? _"Can we maybe…" she glanced around at the people talking around them. There were too many people here. She really didn't want to do this in front of a whole crowd. She should have picked a better time, a better place. "Can we maybe talk somewhere? More… secluded."

Tai looked nervous, his eyes flitting over toward a cherry blossom tree. Qrow was sitting under it, absorbed in a conversation with Raven. _He's nervous about them? _Maybe Qrow had said something to him. If he had, Winter was going to wring his neck. There was something about the way Qrow was sitting, leaning back against the tree, that was so casual so… she took a breath. _I'm not here to think about Qrow. _

"Well… uh, I guess," Tai shrugged. "We could go talk over there, by the hedges." He led the way, still glancing nervously over his shoulder at her. The hedges were lining the edges of the square, and there seemed to really be no one around when they finally reached them. Tai leaned against one of the banner posts with a sigh, running his fingers through his hair, and then crossing his arms. "What's up?"

"I… well, this is something I've wanted to tell you since… since our first year at Beacon," she whispered, "And, honestly, I should have done it sooner."

That seemed to make him even more anxious. _Maybe he feels the same way? _Her hear was pounding, her palms sweaty. "Winter, listen—"

"Just let me get it out," she said, "Before you say anything else. I really like you, Tai! I think you're handsome, and charming, and… _sometimes_ funny." She laughed a little. "And I really like you."

She held her breath, waiting for a response. Tai was biting his lip, not looking her in the eyes. This wasn't what she had expected. "Winter…" he whispered, "You've been a really good friend."

"...friend…" she whispered, her heart almost stopping. _This wasn't how things were supposed to go. This wasn't how… _

"And I want to stay friends, I mean…"

"You're… you don't… you don't feel the same way?" Winter said, she chest felt tight, she had to bite her lip to try and keep the tears away. This wasn't how she had envisioned today ending at all.

"I'm sorry, Win, I don't," he said, "I never wanted to hurt you like this. I always hoped that maybe you'd…" She couldn't stay here anymore, standing in front of him like a _child_. She was going to cry, and there was no way in hell she was going to cry in front of him. She hugged herself, and spun away from him—dashing towards safety, towards somewhere where she could be alone.

"Winter!"

She ignored him. Her heart was pounding in her chest, tears spilling over her eyelashes, rolling down her cheeks. Just as she turned the corner towards the dorms—hardly paying any attention to where she was going—she slammed into someone, hitting them hard.

"Winter?" strong hands steadied her, gently holding her shoulders. "Winter? What's wrong?" She blinked, her vision blurry from tears. _Qrow_. He was here, like he had always been when they were little. She felt her heart skip a beat, and she threw her arms around him, sobbing against his shoulder. He let her cry until she couldn't cry anymore, and when she finally calmed down she took a deep breath, and whispered,

"I told Tai."

Qrow tensed. "He… didn't take it well?"

"Clearly," Winter laughed a little, trying to wipe away her tears. "I'm sorry, Qrow, today's supposed to be happy, for both of us. I didn't mean to ruin it for you."

"You didn't ruin anything, Ice Queen," He gently touched her shoulder. She smiled at the old nickname—something from their playtimes as kids. But she still felt miserable.

"I just… it was so embarrassing. To think if I had just waited one more day maybe I never would have told him. Maybe I wouldn't have had to go through all this. Or maybe if… if I had just known." She hugged herself, waiting for Qrow to respond, but he hesitated—making her glance up at him. He wasn't looking her in the eyes, his hand tapping against his side. She knew him, she knew him better than anyone else at Beacon. He was hiding something. And if her heart wasn't already broken, it was now. It felt as if a black hole swallowed her up and she couldn't breathe. "You… knew." She took one step back.

"What?" Qrow frowned, "Knew what?"

"You _knew_ that Tai didn't care for me that way!" She gasped, "And you _hid _it from me?! I thought… I thought we were friends!"

"What? No! I—Winter!" He reached to grab her arm, but she tore away from him, running towards the dorms.

"Leave me alone!" Tears welled up in her eyes again. She couldn't believe that graduation had turned out to be the worst day ever. _I don't care if I never see Qrow or Tai ever again. _


	8. A Reception

It had been a whole year and a half since Winter had seen anyone from Team STRQ. She kept in contact with Summer and Raven a little, but had hardly said a word to the boys. She had ignored the pain, diving straight into her new work as a huntress. But the little envelope in her hands changed everything. Raven's usual messy scrawl was focused and neat. This envelope was important. She knew what it was. She had been expecting something like this since Summer told her Raven and Tai were dating. That didn't mean it hurt any less. She slipped her thumbnail under the opening of the envelope and gently tore it open, pulling out the little invitation.

_Raven and Tai. _She stared at the picture of the two of them. They looked so happy. Raven had one arm around Tai's shoulder, their foreheads touching. She was wearing white. He was in a suit—his hair brushed to the side. The invitation was for a reception. They had already been married—a private little ceremony. She wondered who had been invited to that. Maybe just Qrow and Summer.

"Should I go?" She whispered aloud to the empty room. Only two years ago she imagined that she would be in this photo instead of Raven. Now, when she looked at Tai she only felt sick to her stomach. _I don't have feelings for him anymore. _But the embarrassment might be too much to bear. Still, she was friends with Raven—she always had been. _I should go. To support her. _She set the invitation aside and stood, crossing the room to her window. Atlas was below. She had work in less than an hour. _Thinking about this can wait. I have a job to do._

* * *

The reception hall was surprisingly elegant, and already filled with people by the time Winter slipped in through the large double doors. The lighting was soft from the hanging chandeliers. A live string quartet was playing in one corner. Winter spotted Raven and Tai at a head table across the room. She bit her lip. _I should go greet them. Congratulate them. _But looking at Tai made her feel nauseous. She smoothed her silk dress and then turned towards the open bar. _Maybe a drink first. _But before she could take one step someone bumped into her, and she stumbled in her heels. A steady hand reached out, grasping her shoulder.

"I'm sorry are you al—" Scarlet eyes met with blue ones, and Winter's breath caught in her throat.

"Qrow." She whispered, her whole face burning. He was at least a head taller than the last time she had seen him, practically towering over her now, even in her heels. His hair was brushed to the side, his usually scruffy uniform replaced with a dark gray suit and tie. She had _never _seen him look so nice and put together and the way the suit sat on his shoulders made her feel warm to her core. He was handsome, breathtakingly so.

"Ice Queen…" he breathed, his cheeks flushed. "You're… you're here!"

"I—" Before she could say anything else he swooped her up into a crushing hug, something that she had not expected at all, and then let out a barking laugh.

"It's been way too long!" He grinned, resting his hand on her shoulder. "How are you? I heard you joined the military! Do you like your job?" He dropped his smile for a minute, "I never really was a fan of James Ironwood's methods but, if it makes you happy to work for him…" he shrugged his shoulders and then grinned again, "I know! We should catch up over a dance," and then he held out his hand, like it was the _most natural solution_, but it made Winter feel unbelievably flustered. _This is so strange. _She stared at his hand, and then glanced back up into his eyes. _He's so confident. Isn't that usually my job? _

She took his hand, and he pulled her out onto the dance floor with a grin. The string quartet was playing a slower song. He pulled her close, resting his other hand on her hip. "So, tell me about Atlas. Do you like working with _General _Ironwood?" He teased.

"General Ironwood is _very _professional," Winter said, "I appreciate that part of him."

"You always were like that," Qrow frowned. "You haven't been _too _absorbed in your work, have you? You should loosen up some."

Winter shook her head, "Just like you to say that, Qrow. You were _always _there to get me in trouble."

"I was always there to get you to _have fun_," he grinned. "And that offer _always _stands. I'm here for you, Winter." He gently led her into a twirl and she laughed a little as he pulled her back in, against his chest. "Always."

"It's been so long, Qrow, I was afraid the last time we talked…"

"Forget about it," he shook his head. "I screwed up. I should have told you a long time ago, or maybe… I should have stopped encouraging you to pursue Tai. I just wanted you to be happy, and you wanted to be with Tai so badly I thought maybe if you did get together…"

"It's not your fault," Winter frowned. "Besides. The past is the past. I'm happy for Raven and Tai."

Qrow offered her a mischievous grin, "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Hmm?" Winter frowned.

"It was a shotgun wedding," He snickered, "But don't tell the groom."

Winter gaped up at him, "You're _joking_."

"No," he laughed. "It's true!"

"Tai doesn't know?!"

"No!" Qrow snorted. "Raven wanted to tell him but then he proposed. So, she decided to wait till after the reception."

_What?! Raven's pregnant?! _She stumbled on the next dance step and Qrow caught her with a laugh. "I know. I can't even imagine Raven as a mom. But… I think Tai will make a good dad. Don't you?"

"Yeah," Winter whispered, "He would." She hazard a glance towards the bride and groom's table. Tai was laughing about something Summer was saying to Raven. _Yeah. He'll make a good dad._ Winter pulled away from Qrow, biting her lip, unable to look him in the eyes.

"Hey," Qrow frowned, reaching out to touch her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"I just… need a drink." She breathed, starting towards the bar again, "That's all."

* * *

When she woke up, she was on a strange couch in a strange apartment. Her head was pounding—_Gods, how much did I have to drink last night? _She shifted. The light from the windows was dim, but enough that she could tell it was early morning. On the other side of the couch a door swung open softly, and bare feet tiptoed across the hardwood floor. She tried to stay still—that was part of her training. _Assess your surroundings, determine the threats, don't panic. _A tall figure came around the couch—Qrow, except the only thing he was wearing was a towel around his waist.

Winter's breath hitched. Her eyes traced every line, every muscle… the way the towel was tight around his waist… the way he was still dripping from the shower… She felt hot all over, to her very core. She must have made some sort of sound because he jumped, glancing over at her and their eyes met and his whole face turned red.

"Wi…Wi—!"

"Qrow!" She gasped, her voice sounding hoarse.

"I thought you were still asleep!" His voice rose in panic, and then the towel slipped, and he was scrambling to catch it, all while dashing towards what she only assumed was his bedroom door. She caught sight of maybe more than she should have before he slammed the door shut behind him. Her heart was _hammering _in her ribcage. Why did she feel so weird? She bit her lip, and clenched her fists, but she felt weak to her core. The feeling was so familiar, so _right_…

_No. This… this is Qrow. _She stood, tossing aside the blanket he must have wrapped her in the night before. _This is just Qrow. He's just a friend. _Still, it felt wrong to stay. It felt wrong to be in his apartment like this… Despite her pounding hangover, she slipped on her heels, tried to gather up what dignity she had left, and slipped out before he could recover and come back. _Maybe it really is better if we just don't see each other. _


	9. Yang

Qrow would be there. Qrow would be there when she arrived, she knew he would. Family meant everything to Qrow. And just because of that one thought, she had contemplated not going. But Summer had sent her pictures of the baby, and she knew she _had _to meet her. So here she was, on her way to Patch. _"Am I crazy for going?" _She had asked Heather. Heather had shared a glance with Ember—which Winter hadn't liked _at all_—and then shook her head.

_"No. You and Qrow are friends remember? It's going to be fine. Besides, you really should go to support Raven. You grew up together after all."_

"_Yeah!"_ Ember had said, teasing look in her eyes, "_What does it matter that you were _totally _staring at his abs when you _basically _almost saw him naked?" _

Winter groaned, putting her head in her hands. Even now, standing on the station platform at Patch a whole eight months after the incident, she felt hot all over just thinking about it. _Yeah, I did stare! How could I not? _Every once in a while, she remembered how she felt whenever her eyes met his… it was different than it used to be and it scared her. An old pickup pulled up to the platform. She recognized it as Tai's car and turned to grab her suitcase. As she turned around she came face-to-face with the one thing she had been hoping to mostly avoid on this trip: Qrow Branwen.

"Q-Qrow!" She stared up into his scarlet eyes. A soft smile formed on his lips and he glanced down at her fondly.

"Hi, Ice Queen. It's good to see you again. Let me get that for you."

The drive to Tai's was not very far from the station, but it was long enough that they got to have a nice long bout of awkward silence. Winter gritted her teeth as she leaned against the window, watching the fields and trees pass by as they bounced over the old road, Qrow driving, leaning back in his seat casually. She knew that every so often he glanced over at her, maybe he meant to ask a question or meant to break the silence. But every time he decided not to. Finally she had enough, sitting up in her seat she turned, glancing over him partly out of the corner of her eyes. He was focused, and handsome the way he sat with one hand on the wheel, one hand on his knee, tapping out some sort of unfamiliar rhythm with his thumbs. His hair was swept back. He had stubble on his chin—something that was unfamiliar to her. Had he just forgotten to shave or was he trying to grow a beard? After a moment he glanced over, and caught her staring. She felt her cheeks grow hot and she quickly looked away, gripping the bag in her lap so tight her knuckles turned white.

"I—"

"Win—" They both stopped and then Qrow laughed. "You go first."

"I was wondering… what's she like?"

Qrow stared thoughtfully at the road ahead of them, then licked his lips, a smile gracing his face. "She's amazing," he glanced over at her with a grin. "She… Well, I don't even know how to describe her. Tai's a lucky bastard. She's _beautiful_."

Winter smiled, glancing out the window again. They were close. She recognized the little farmhouse they passed by. She leaned back in her seat, daring to glance over at Qrow again. "I'm excited to meet her."

They arrived only a few minutes later. Qrow came around and opened her door for her, holding out a hand to help her out of the car. She rolled her eyes, but laughed. "We'll leave your stuff in the car for now," he said. "We haven't exactly figured out where you'll be sleeping." But Winter was too excited to finally see the baby to even care. Tai met them on the front porch, pulling Winter into a quick hug.

"Tai! Congratulations! You're a father!" She gasped. He laughed a little, scratching the back of his head. He looked tired, but _so _happy.

"Thanks. We're glad you came out. Are you ready to meet her?" She clasped her hands together, offering him a smile.

"Yes!"

"Alright." He pressed a finger to his lips and opened the front door quietly—leading them into the little house.

"I'm gonna get something to drink," Qrow shrugged, heading towards the fridge. "You two go on ahead." Winter followed Tai into the little master bedroom. Raven was sitting up in bed against several pillows, her head was leaning back, her eyes closed, but she shifted, sitting up a little the moment the door opened. Her red eyes met Winter's and a bright smile crossed her face.

"Win. You're here."

"Raven!" Winter gasped, "How are you feeling?!"

"Tired," Raven said, "But I'm _happy_. Come here. I want you to meet her."

Tai leaned back against the wall, watching from where he stood. Qrow appeared, leaning against the doorway. Winter moved to Raven's side of the bed, and sat on the edge where she could get a good look at the tiny pink bundle in Raven's arms. Yang Xiao Long was fast asleep in her mother's arms. She _was _beautiful. Perfect, chubby cheeks, little hands balled into tiny fists, with a head of wispy blond hair. She was _so _little. Winter was in awe of her.

"Do you want to hold her?" Raven smiled. Winter nodded slowly.

"She's a pretty heavy sleeper, so don't worry too much," Raven said as she gently lifted Yang into Winter's arms. Yang squirmed a little, before falling deep into sleep again.

"Hello, Yang," Winter whispered, "It's nice to meet you." She glanced up, over at where Qrow stood in the doorway—still. He was watching her, almost with stars in his eyes. She felt her cheeks grow warm, she glanced down at Yang again "I'm a friend of your mom and dad's and your Uncle Qrow."

* * *

"So, here we are." Qrow gently set Winter's bag down in his room. "I'll sleep on the couch, so don't worry about anything. I washed the sheets before you came and everything." He shrugged his shoulders. "Tai figured you wouldn't want to sleep on their couch and be kept up all night by the baby."

"Thank you," Winter smiled, glancing around his room. It was simple—hardly decorated. A picture of their two teams was on his dresser, across from his bed. She could tell he had tidied, but forgot about dusting—there was a thin layer of gray on his desk.

"Hey," Qrow said, as he moved out of his room. "Want a drink?"

"I wouldn't say no," Winter said, following him out into his little living room.

"I got whiskey, and I got wine. Pick your poison." Qrow grinned, reaching for glasses in his cupboard. Winter plopped down on the couch with a sigh.

"Whiskey on the rocks sounds good," she said.

Qrow brought their drinks and dropped down onto the couch next to her. They drank in silence for a little bit, Qrow filling their glasses again before Winter finally spoke, her cheeks hot from the alcohol. "Your niece is beautiful."

"I know," he smiled, running his fingers through his hair. "She's amazing. I'm excited to be the _crazy _uncle. I'm going to teach her all the tricks in the book."

Winter laughed, "Of course you are." She glanced over at him as she took another sip of her drink, despite the fact that she already felt pretty buzzed. "But… I remember when we were little," she grinned, taking another sip before she finished, "You used to talk about one day having kids."

"If _I _recall…" Qrow leaned in close, "_We _talked about having kids."

"Did we?" he was so close she could smell the alcohol on his breath—or was that hers? She gently reached up, brushing her fingertips against his temple, hesitating before cupping his cheek. Their noses brushed. She could almost taste his lips on hers, like electricity was pulsing between them—pulling them closer.

For one moment, Winter thought, _Why the hell not_? But like a jolt from a shock she remembered herself, and she jerked away with a nervous laugh. Her face growing feverish. She stood, her hands shaking. _This is Qrow! Qrow! Qrow, Winter! What is wrong with you?! _

"I-I… I'm thinking it's probably time for some rest."

"Right…" Qrow's face was as red as a strawberry. He leaned back against the couch. "Right."

Winter shut Qrow's bedroom door and leaned against it with a groan. _What is wrong with you?! _She wanted to tear her hair out. _Why do you keep acting this way?! _She got into her pajamas, and lay down in bed, but she was sure she would die of embarrassment before she was able to fall asleep.


	10. What Do You Mean!

Winter took in a deep breath, sitting on the floor and leaning against Qrow's bed, before she pressed "CALL." The phone rang once.

"Winter?!" Heather picked up without hesitation. "What are you talking about in your text—something about a mistake?! What happened?"

"Is Ember awake?" Winter groaned.

"Nah, she's still asleep," Heather said. Winter heard Ember protest in the background.

"Just because I'm not out of bed _doesn't mean I'm still asleep_."

"Come on! You're on speaker! Tell us what happened," Heather said.

Winter groaned. "It's… It's really weird. I…" She wasn't sure she could really voice what had come over her the night before. It had felt… like she was _supposed _to kiss him. No, that was the wrong way to say it. She had _wanted _to kiss him.

"Just start at the beginning," Ember said.

"I'm staying over at Qrow's," she began.

Ember interrupted with an "_Ooooh!" _

"Ember, shh!" Heather scolded. Winter took another breath.

"I'm staying at Qrow's. He's letting me sleep in his room—he's on the couch. Listen, last night we got back and Qrow poured us a couple drinks. Things were super awkward. I… I only meant to have one but I maybe had more than one—"

"Oh my god!" Ember gasped. "You slept with him, didn't you?!"

"No!" Winter said, eyes widening. "_Nothing _like _that_!" She composed herself, tucking stray hair behind her ear. "We started talking about kids," she whispered. "I remembered when he was younger he had talked about having kids before. And he leaned in and…"

Ember and Heather were absolutely silent, waiting with bated breaths.

"He said something like… 'If I remember, _we _talked about having kids."

"Oh my gods! You guys talked like that when you were young? Geez, you really _were _meant to be." Ember laughed.

"Ember!" Heather snapped. "Is that the end of the story?" Heather asked. Winter took in a breath, her cheeks burning.

"No," she whispered.

"There's _more_?!" Ember was suddenly at attention.

"I…" Winter swallowed, putting her head in her hand. "I almost kissed him." Silence on the other end of the line.

"That's it? You _almost _kissed him?" Ember asked.

"Yeah, but…" she let out an exasperated sigh. "You don't understand it was… it must have been the alcohol but he seemed…" she took in a breath, "I _wanted _to kiss him. I wanted to…" she bit her lip.

"Okay, Winter, listen, can we be honest with you?" Heather asked.

Winter nodded, and then remembered they couldn't see her and said, "Yes, please."

"Ember and I have shipped you with Qrow Branwen since our first year at Beacon."

Winter froze, not sure if she heard her teammate right, "W-what?"

"Winter, just _think about it_!" Ember said. "You and Qrow are childhood friends! You grew up together! You're _adorable_. You know each other so well—like the back of each other's hands. You _actually _finish each other's sentences…. _All the time._"

"The way you looked at Qrow sometimes, Winter. The way you talked to each other. It's like you're married already or something," Heather said.

"B-but…" Winter's breath hitched. Everything she was feeling was starting to make sense. She shook her head in disbelief and then laughed, still hardly able to believe it. "Me and Qrow?!"

"Winter. Last night, what did you feel about him? What made you want to kiss him?"

"I think it was just… in the heat of the moment, and also the alcohol."

"Really?"

Winter closed her eyes. She could still see Qrow in her memory. His scarlet eyes filled with admiration. She could trace the angle of his jaw from memory. The way his hair was a casual mess, that crooked smile. She could still feel his warm skin under her fingertips. She could remember all the times he had cheered her up or made her laugh. _Has it always been Qrow? _She felt like she couldn't breathe.

"But…" she shook her head, laughing a little, "Even if… even if _I _feel this way… Qrow and I are just friends. Qrow would never—"

"Girl!" Ember snorted. "_Girl!" _

"Winter, Qrow Branwen is _in love _with you," Heather said, enunciating every word. Winter was silent, clutching his scroll until her knuckles turned white.

"How—?"

"_Everyone _knew! Qrow's been head-over-heels for you since _childhood… _probably," Ember replied.

"I…" Winter shook her head, "I have… I have to go."

"Winter—" She tapped 'hang up.' Her mind was reeling. _Qrow… Qrow… in love with me?! _She stood, dropping her scroll onto Qrow's bed. Her knees were shaking. She felt light-headed. _I could have kissed him last night and… would he have kissed me back? _She crossed the room, pulling open the door with shaking hands. Qrow was awake, pacing. When she stepped out he immediately glanced up, scarlet eyes wide.

"Winter," he sighed, "Listen…. About last night—"

"You…" Winter spluttered over the next words, still only _barely _believing them, "You're in love with me." She stated it like it was a fact. Qrow's face blanched, his scarlet eyes growing wide.

"W-w-what. Who… who… who told you?"

"So it's true," Winter whispered. Qrow's expression softened, his hands dropping uselessly to his sides.

"Of course it's true," he murmured, eyes locked with hers across the room, "I could _never _love anyone else."


	11. Fate

The girls had said it was obvious. And maybe it _was _obvious now—looking at him, and remembering every touch, every smile. The way he looked at her made so much more sense now, and it filled her middle with fluttering butterflies. Never once—not since she was a little girl—had she imagined that Qrow Branwen would make her feel this way. It was time to be honest with him—and be honest with herself.

"Qrow…" she whispered, her hands shaking. She raised one towards his chest, her heart was hammering in her ears. She could hardly hear anything else. "I… I have feelings for you!" She gasped, "I… think." Qrow blinked, and then he threw his head back and laughed. She felt her face grow hot. "Hey!" She snapped. "It's not funny!" She crossed her arms.

"You _think_?" He asked, still trying to stifle his laugh.

"I'm being honest with you and you're just—!"

"Okay, Ice Queen," Qrow took in a breath, leaning close, a smirk on his lips, "Tell me _why _you think you have feelings for me."

The question caught her by surprise. Her heart was practically in her throat. She could hardly breathe. "I…" That smirk… it made her knees weak. She felt a hot blush rising to her cheeks again. "I think I always have. All the times you've cheered me up. The times you've danced with me." She pressed a finger to his lips, making him blink. "_That smile._ All the time you've been here for me, Qrow, and I never… I was _too stupid _to realize. Why didn't you ever tell me?"

Qrow shook his head. "I was too afraid to ruin what we had. And you seemed happy chasing after Tai. I wanted_ nothing more _than for you to be happy."

Winter smiled, shaking her head, "I was just a crazy teenager. Tai was never there for me when my father forgot to send a birthday card. He was never there when I fell and scraped my knees when we were young. He was never there for me to dry my tears. _You were, _Qrow. And last night… Last night was the first time I realized that, I think. Last night I wanted more than anything to…" Her eyes moved to his lips. _No more hesitating. _She grabbed his collar, hesitating, "I wanted to…" then she leaned forward, pressing a kiss against his lips, pulling away only half a second later.

Qrow was stunned, her cheeks flushed, his eyes tracing over her features as if he were trying to determine if this was reality or a dream.

"J-just… just to see what it felt like," Winter whispered.

"And…?"

There was a moment of silence, before, tightening her grip on his collar she pulled him in for another kiss. It was sweeter than the first, but more desperate. His hand found her waist pulling her closer, she tangled her fingers in his hair. They were breathless when they pulled away, Qrow resting his forehead against hers. He let out a breathy laugh.

"I never… I could never let myself believe this day would come," he murmured.

"I'm sorry," she said, her heart still pounding against her ribs. "I'm sorry I was always so blind. You were right there in front of me the whole time…."

"Don't be," Qrow frowned, "I always just figured with _my_ luck—" Winter pressed a finger to his lips.

"Forget about luck, forget about fate," she smiled. "Let's make our own destinies."

"So what do we do now?"

"Make up for lost time." She pulled him in to kiss him once more.

* * *

"Hey, c'mon, kids. Let's get up. First day of school." Qrow leaned over the bunk bed with a groan.

"I don't want to go to school!" Azura screamed _right into his ear_ from where she was perched on his back for a piggy-back ride.

"Az—"

"You don't have to!" Argent snapped from where he was pulling himself out of bed, clearly irked. "You're just a _baby_! Babies don't go to school."

"_Daddy_!" Azura wailed, "Ari's being _mean_."

"Argent," Qrow groaned, "Your sister's only _three_, can you please be a little considerate?" He reached up to the top bunk, "Roux." He gently shook the little ball under the blankets. "Roux, come on—"

Roux let out a wail, "I don't WANNA!"

"Come on, guys, you should be excited—" Azura slipped, arms suddenly tightening around Qrow's neck and he choked. "O…_kay_, _no more_." He reached back, grabbing his daughter and pulled her away from his shoulders, setting her down on solid ground.

"Daddy, _no!" _She shrieked.

"_Shut up, _Azura!" Argent snapped, pulling on his shoes. Qrow's youngest burst into tears.

"Ari." _Winter! Thank gods! _His wife was leaning in against the doorframe of the little bedroom, her hair tied up, her expression calm… only mildly concerned. "Apologize to your sister, please. I know first days can be stressful, but please, dear, that's no reason to be cruel to one another."

Ari let out an exaggerated sigh, "Sorry, Azura."

Winter leaned over and gently wiped away Azura's tears. "Come on, darling, lets let daddy get Roux out of bed. I'm making a special first-day breakfast! Do you want to come help?"

Winter led Azura out to the kitchen with Ari following closely behind. "Roux," Qrow frowned, reaching out to gently pull the blankets down so he could see his daughter's face. She was beautiful, with Winter's features, Qrow's eyes. Her hair was dark brown, a little lighter than Qrow's. She stared up at him, waiting to see what he would say, or do. But he just smiled. "Hey, you need to get out of bed, kiddo."

"Can't I stay home one more day?"

"You know if you miss today you'll miss all the fun class stuff, like getting to know your teacher and your classmates. I'm sure they'll play games. That'll be fun."

"Not as fun as staying home," She scoffed. Qrow bit his lip to hide a laugh.

"What could I pay you to get out of bed and get dressed?"

"Pay?"

"Yeah, like a toll. What can I give you in return?"

Her scarlet eyes lit up, "Can you tell me a story?"

"A story, huh? Like one of my huntsmen stories?"

"No, daddy, like a _romantic _story."

Qrow narrowed his eyes, "Aren't you a little young to be thinking about romance?"

"No, I'm _six_," she said, "I'm old enough, of _course_."

"Of course," Qrow nodded. "Well, then… how about I tell you about the story of how your mama and I ended up getting married."

"That _does _sound romantic," She said thoughtfully, "Okay, I'll get dressed." _Thank gods. _Qrow stepped aside as his daughter climbed down the ladder of her bunkbed and moved over to her dresser. _It's going to be like this for a while isn't it? _He stepped out of the kids' room. In the kitchen Ari was frantically stuffing his backpack with the school supplies he should have put in there a week ago. Winter was showing Azura how to flip pancakes. She turned to see Qrow standing in the hall, and she smiled. It was the same smile he fell in love with years and years ago.

_If this is fate, _he thought, _thank you_.


End file.
